Maliha Ali bags MMA worlds bronze amid judging controversy

Pakistan’s mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Maliha Ali secured a bronze medal at the IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, despite a controversial semi-final defeat against Russia’s Polina Baldina.

Maliha’s campaign ended on Thursday after she lost the featherweight semi-final by split decision. However, the Pakistan MMA Federation challenged the result, claiming that the judges’ scoring was inconsistent and unfair.

Despite competing with a fractured toe, a badly bruised eyelid and a partially dislocated jaw, Maliha displayed remarkable determination throughout the tournament.

She began her campaign with an impressive victory over Russian fighter and two-time European champion Veronika Drozdova, defeating her by split decision on Tuesday. She then secured a unanimous-decision win against Mexico’s Andrea Gabriela Guzman Salazar to book her place in the semi-finals.

Her clash against Baldina proved closely contested, with all three judges delivering different scorecards. One awarded the fight 30-27 to Baldina, while the other two scored it 29-28 in favour of different fighters, ultimately giving the Russian the victory.

Following the result, Pakistan MMA Federation president Omar Ahmed confirmed that the federation had submitted a formal appeal to the IMMAF Refereeing and Judging Commission.

The appeal seeks a detailed breakdown of the judges’ scores, an explanation for the differing assessments and a technical review of the disputed bout.

Omar also raised concerns over judging standards, pointing out that Pakistan had faced a similar split-decision setback at last year’s championships.

Meanwhile, Maliha’s twin sister Manesha Ali also suffered a narrow defeat, losing to Poland’s Martyna Caruk in the lightweight quarter-finals.

The appeal remains pending, while Maliha returns home with a bronze medal after an impressive display of resilience on the international stage.